The present invention relates to illuminated Halloween articles. More specifically, the present invention relates to particular Halloween articles which are illuminated with glow-in-the-dark material.
Illuminated articles have been made in the past for use during Halloween for purposes of fun and safety.
As an example of an illuminated article made for the purpose of fun, a jack-o""-lantern has been made by cleaning out the soft pulp of a pumpkin, carving openings corresponding to eyes, a nose, and a mouth into the pumpkin, and placing a burning candle into the pumpkin to illuminate the openings. However, such a jack-o""-lantern involves carving with a knife and lighting a candle, which can be dangerous activities, and the carving process can also be messy. Also, if the person carving the pumpkin is dissatisfied with the appearance of the jack-o""-lantern after it is carved, it may be difficult or impossible to improve the appearance.
Patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,428,133 disclose artificial pumpkin jack-o""-lanterns which have pumpkin face electric lights to replace the candles of previous jack-o""-lanterns. However, such artificial jack-o""-lanterns do not provide the feeling of authenticity which comes from using a real pumpkin, and they have a fixed appearance which does not allow one to personalize the jack-o""-lantern. Also, such artificial jack-o""-lanterns are more complex than necessary, involving light bulbs and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,833 discloses a kit for creating a jack-o""-lantern with a plurality of illuminating units, each of which has a battery and a light bulb. While this kit allows one to customize the jack-o""-lantern, it is quite complex, involving batteries, light bulbs, and the like.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple and safe way to obtain a jack-o""-lantern.
As an example of an illuminated article made for the purpose of safety, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,071 discloses a lantern candy carrier which is illuminated by battery power to improve a child""s ability to see and/or be seen at night. U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,296 describes an illuminated carrying bag containing a power source which energizes light bulbs that shine light for safety and decorative purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,230 discloses an ornamental carrier with flashlight-type eyes that offers both increased safety and enjoyment for a child. U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,423 discloses a decoratively illuminated carrying device which has lights positioned in a decorative pattern about a bag to provide increased safety and improve a child""s ability to see and be seen.
However, these illuminated articles made for the purpose of safety are quite complex, involving light bulbs, batteries, and the like.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple and safe Halloween treat carrier.
Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide particular illuminated Halloween articles which are fun and safe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such illuminated Halloween articles which are simple in design.
These and other objects are satisfied by the present invention, which includes various embodiments that achieve one or more of the objects.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a Halloween treat carrier including a container having thereon a Halloween design, wherein the Halloween treat carrier includes a glow-in-the-dark material.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a pumpkin decorating kit including (A) a base material containing a glow-in-the-dark material and having a back surface and a front surface, (B) an adhesive layer on the back surface of the base material for adhering the base material to a pumpkin, and (C) a release material to which the base material is attached via the adhesive layer and from which the base material together with the adhesive layer can be released upon use, wherein the front surface of the base material containing glow-in-the-dark material can provide a jack-o""-lantern appearance on the pumpkin.
Still another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for decorating a pumpkin, including
providing a pumpkin decorating kit including (A) a base material containing a glow-in-the-dark material and having a back surface and a front surface, (B) an adhesive layer on the back surface of the base material for adhering the base material to a pumpkin, and (C) a release material to which the base material is attached via the adhesive layer and from which the base material together with the adhesive layer can be released upon use, wherein the front surface of the base material containing glow-in-the-dark material can provide a jack-o""-lantern appearance on the pumpkin,
peeling pieces of the base material having adhesive thereon from the release material, wherein the pieces are constituent elements of a jack-o""-lantern appearance, and
adhering the pieces to a pumpkin to provide a jack-o""-lantern appearance on the pumpkin.